1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to pull printing, and more specifically, to a host apparatus and a server that are connected to an image forming apparatus, and that generate and store print data to pull print.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forms an image to be printed on a printing medium, and may be provided as a printer, a facsimile, a multi-function device, or the like.
In a network printing environment in which a plurality of users commonly uses an image forming apparatus, each user generates print data using a host apparatus such as a personal computer, and the generated print data is transmitted through network to a desired image forming apparatus to print.
The image forming apparatus receives the print data from at least one host apparatuses and performs printing in a received order.
However, in a case where printing is performed in a received order, if a variety of printing operations are concentrated on a specific image forming apparatus, processing time of the image forming apparatus is increased, thereby delaying printing outputs. Further, in this case, users are likely to forget to take the printed matters, which may result in losing the printing outputs. Furthermore, in the case that various printed matters are mixed, users have difficulty finding their own printed matters, and specific confidential printed matters may be exposed to unauthorized people.
To solve these problems, a host apparatus may generate print data using a pull printing function.
In the case of the pull printing, print data generated in a host apparatus is temporarily stored in a separate server. Then, as a user inputs a print request through an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus receives the print data from the server and performs printing.
However, in a conventional pull printing process, once print data generated in a plurality of host apparatuses is transmitted to a server, the server should perform all necessary processes.
Thus, most of printing load is concentrated on the server. If the number of the image forming apparatuses or the amount of printing operations becomes large compared with the capacity of the server, the pull printing function can not be normally performed. In this case, the capacity, i.e., the number of the servers, should be increased. The additional servers, however, cause an increase in cost to build and maintain the servers, thereby burdening users.
Further, in a case where a storage capacity of the server is insufficient due to temporary increases in printing jobs, print data generated in the host apparatus can not be normally stored in the server, thereby interrupting the normal printing process.